Team India’s preparatory camp for New Zealand Test series to begin on November 15

As per the latest development, the Indian team will have a week-long preparation camp ahead of the two-match Test series against New Zealand, which gets underway on November 26. The camp will take place in Mumbai and will get underway on Monday (November 15). Notably, India’s newly-appointed head coach Rahul Dravid won’t be a part of this camp as he would be with India’s T20I squad which will battle it out Kiwis.

Notably, many members of the Test squad aren’t featuring in the T20Is series and vice versa. This has been apparently done in order to manage players’ workload. It has to be noted that several players have compained about mental fatigue while being in a bio-secure bubble. Hence, the Indian cricket board took the decision of dividing players as per format.

Ravindra Jadeja to join the camp later

As per a report in the Indian Express, all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has requested for a longer break and will join the camp later. Also, the Indian board haven’t kept any secure bio-bubble for the camp but have advised players not to take precaution by not going in crowded places. Notably, BCCI haven’t conducted a camp ahead of the series for a long time.

However, the decision was apparently taken to get players in the groove ahead of the much-important Test series. Team India’s last assignment in the longest format was a five-match Test series against England in August-September. After that, the players have only been indulged in T20 cricket. Hence, the board wants to give players a fair amount of match practice.

“With no red-ball cricket happening in the country, the BCCI felt it would be good if the players get some practice with the red ball before going for a Test in Kanpur. The BCCI was earlier planning to keep it in Bengaluru but as the team was about to fly from Mumbai to Kanpur, the camp was shifted here,” sources in the BCCI informed.

Notably, the upcoming Test series is a part of the ongoing World Test Championship. Hence, both teams must leave no stones unturned to emerge victorious. As India haven’t lost a Test series at home since 2012, they would definitely take the field as favourites. However, New Zealand are the reigning WTC champions, and defeating them would take some beating.